Commenting on the data looking at the progress of children between the age of 7 and 11 in English and Maths Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, the largest teachers’ union said;

“However distorted the effect of National Curriculum tests are the picture that the results show is one of very high levels of achievement.

“The reality is that there are very many young people with specific learning needs who do not achieve level fours but who are achieving fantastically against their previous personal best.

“I am afraid it is the Government in its unrealistic concept of ever increasing improvement against its own targets which has laid the basis for a picture of failure rather than of success”.